Orthodox Calendar

Monday, March 18, 2019 / March 5, 2019 (Church Calendar)

2019

Second Week of the Great Lent. Tone one. Great Lent. By Monastic Charter: Strict Fast (Bread, Vegetables, Fruits)

Martyr Conon of Isauria (2nd c.).St. Nicholas (1919).New Hieromartyr John priest and New Hieromartyrs Mardarius and Theopane (1938).St. Nicholas (Velimirovich), bishop of Ochrid and Zhicha, Serbia (1956) (Serbia).Uncovering of the relics (1996) of St. Luke, hierarch-surgeon of Simferopol (1961).Translation of the relics (1463) of St. Theodore, prince of Smolensk and Yaroslav (1299), and his children Sts. David (1321) and Constantine.Monk-martyr Adrian, abbot of Poshekhonye (1550) and his fellow-ascetic St. Leonidas (1549).Martyr Onisius of Isauria (2nd c.).Martyr Conon the Gardener of Pamphylia (251).Virgin-martyr Irais (Rhais) of Antinoe in Egypt (3rd c.) and with her Martyr Archelaus and 152 Martyrs in Egypt.Martyr Eulogius of Palestine.Martyr Eulampius of Palestine.Venerable Mark the Faster of Egypt (5th c.).Venerable Hesychius the Faster of Bithynia (790)."Nurtured Up-Bringing" Icon of the Mother of God.New Martyr John the Bulgarian (Mt. Athos), at Constantinople (1784) (Greek).Martyr Archelaus and 152 Martyrs in Egypt. St. Kieran (Ciaran) of Saigher, Munster (Ireland) (5th-6th c.) (Celtic & British).St. Theophilus, bishop of Caesaria in Palestine (200).St. Virgil, archbishop of Aries (618).Sts. Basil (1249) and Constantine (1257), princes of Yaroslavl.New Hieromartyr Parthenius, Bishop of Didymoteichon in Thrace (1805).New Martyr George of Rapsana (1818).St. Piran, mont of Perranporth.The Scripture Readings

 vigil for great feasts; a more festive service where all of the unfixed hymns are dedicated to the feast.  "vigil" to a certain saint when All Night vigil is celebrated. The order of the service is similar to a Polyeleos (magnification) service, in that small vespers, great vespers and matins are combined (from this comes the vigil) and that there is the blessing of breads and the anointing with oil at the end of matins.  "cross", "Polyeleos", "with the Polyeleos", "Polyeleos service", that is the type of service during which the "Polyeleos" (Praise/Magnification) is sung during matins (the majestic singing of the 134 and 135 psalms with verses); in addition, during this service there is a reading from the Gospel, the prokeimenon, gradual antiphons, the canon with 8 troparions, the praises and Great Doxology are sung, and during vespers "Blessed is the man" is sung (first "Glory" of the 1st kathisma), there is an entrance, Old Testament readings (parameia) and during lityia all of the verses may be sung to the saint.  "doxology", "with doxology" during this service to the saint it is proper to sing the Great Doxology at the end of matins (in services of a lower rank, the doxology is read), also at this service are sung several Sunday Theotokions, sedalions after the kathisma (psaltery reading) to the saint, the katavasia during the canon, also at the end of matins are sung the praise verses, the Great Doxology, and the entire ending of matins follows the order of a feast.  "six verse", "up to six"; all six stikhera of "Lord, I cry" are sung to the saint, there is a stikhera for "Glory" of the Apotischa for both vespers and matins; troparion to the saint, and the canon of matins is sung to the saint in six troparions., , no sign  "without a sign"; the most ordinary, daily service to a saint, to whom it is customary to sing only three stikhera at "Lord I cry" and the canon of matins in four troparions. There may not be a troparion to the saint.